Acts 27:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.

NIV: So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.

NASB: Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.

CSB: So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.

NLT: So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.

KJV: Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

NKJV: Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

Paul has spent the last two years trying to convince people that God's word to him is true. When a mob tried to kill him outside the temple (Acts 21:30–31), he explained that Jesus appeared to him, revealed He is the Messiah, and commissioned him to spread His offer of salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 22:3–21). Next, he tried to convince the Sadducees in the Sanhedrin that Jesus rose from the dead (Acts 23:1–10). During his first trial, he testified to Governor Felix he was innocent of the Sanhedrin's charges; Felix believed him but didn't free him from custody (Acts 24). Governor Festus was not much better (Acts 25:1–12). He almost convinced King Agrippa II that Jesus is the Messiah, but Agrippa pulled back at the last minute. At least Agrippa admitted Paul hadn't committed a crime (Acts 26).

More recently, Paul tried to convince the captain and pilot of his ship that if they left the shelter of southern Crete, they risked their ship, the cargo, and every life onboard. The sailors insisted they needed to go farther west to a better port, but barely got underway before a strong wind blew them into a violent storm that seemed to never end (Acts 27:9–20).

Now, Paul tries to convince the other 275 passengers and crew members they are going to live. He starts his pep-talk with a reminder that he was right (Acts 27:21). This is not for his own ego, but so they'll believe him now when he repeats the message God has given him. He trusts God, even when no one else does, and he will not stop bringing God's message to others. God has spoken: the ship and cargo will be lost, but everyone will live. They still have at least a week to go, but they will live.

Acts 27:21–26 again shifts attention to Paul. He, Luke, and Aristarchus are on a grain ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. They're supposed to be on their way to Rome. Winter winds blew them off course and a fierce storm threatened to push them to a dangerous series of underwater reefs near Africa. At first, Paul thought they all might die. But he has prayed for the lives of the sailors, soldiers, and passengers onboard, and God has promised that although the ship and cargo will be lost, everyone will survive.

Acts 27 is an account of a famous sea voyage. Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus travel from Caesarea Maritima on their way to Rome. False charges and two years of imprisonment in Caesarea led Paul to appeal his case to a higher Roman court, and he is now on his way to that court. The chapter can be divided into seven paragraphs, alternating between descriptions of the sea voyage and Paul trying to keep everyone alive during a horrific storm. Eventually, they shipwreck on Malta. The ship and cargo are a complete loss, but no one dies.

Twice the Sanhedrin brought unfounded charges against Paul. In both cases, the ruling governor knew Paul was innocent but refused to let him go. Finally, Paul appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 24:22–27; 25:1–12). He, Luke, Aristarchus, and 273 others sail for Rome. But they shipwreck on a reef off the island of Malta. When they finally reach Rome, Paul will meet with Jewish leaders and tell them how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Some will believe and some won't. This leads Paul to resolve, once again, to focus his efforts on the Gentiles (Acts 28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.